I can't believe it's been another month already, time is just flying past lately. But, however long it might be overdue, the next act is finally here.
Thanks, as always, goes to ncpfan for going over my work.
I hope you all enjoy.
The only sounds in the room were the slow shuffling of papers interrupted by the scratching of a pen and the constant buffeting of a slowly-turning fan. Sunset was far enough yet that you could still call it late afternoon rather than evening but a combination of nearby buildings and the distant walls of the village was enough to dim the light to a warmer, if slightly more dull, light that poured through his window.
It wasn't the den, where his primary office was, but lately he had taken to doing more of his work in his apartment. The atmosphere here was far more relaxed and while it may not be more secure he still found himself more comfortable siting at a desk in the spare bedroom. The apartment hadn't originally possessed a spare bedroom but that's really what he got for having left some of the Wolves here while he was about managing the start of Nami no Kuni and going on missions with Anko.
They had, in his absence, decided that they would go ahead and move around some of the walls.
The landlady had been less than pleased. Fortunately a bit of money- enough to buy a rather large house on a decent piece of land- and the new standing of Hi no Kuni's House of Wolves was enough to remedy the issue.
It had the additional effect of him owning the complex, so long as the rent from all other tenants went to her. Not the best deal, as things were currently, but it did mean that if he ever needed more space he could just knock down some more walls and the lack of apartments for more tenants would lead to the landlady- manager at this point, really- receiving less rent.
Luckily for her he had no intentions of doing any remodeling anytime soon and had been very careful to avoid mentioning any of the details of that particular deal to the other Wolves.
Last thing they needed was to know they could get away with it.
Pulling his thoughts from his new office, he instead focused on the papers before him. Sai had been diligent in his reports, as had Mai, and he had been less than so in actually reading them.
Considering some of the comments that had been left hidden within them, the two were well aware and were just waiting for him to eventually stumble upon them.
Jotting down more notes about the contents of the reports- half of said notes being reminders of his subordinates little 'surprises' so he could make sure to respond- he was vaguely aware that his front door was being opened.
From the corner of the room the single Wolf that had been standing guard in his presence- the others in the rest of the apartment or patrolling the perimeter- moved to the door, cracking it open enough to confirm the identities of the recent entrants.
Naruto himself was a bit more interested in pondering what possible reasons Sai might have had to randomly insert a ten verse piece of poetry about how much his night patrols whined about being caught in the rain.
It was pretty good, surprisingly, but why he didn't just include it as a separate document he didn't know.
Finishing with the actual relevant parts of the report on that page he set it to the side to keep. It would be a shame for all of his hard work to go to waste. With no small amount of amusement Naruto could picture Sai sitting at his desk, half asleep, as he idly doodled and came up with poetry, his head never rising from a propped position atop a closed fist.
Of course, the second one of the other Wolves- or Wave's Governor Hana- entered the room Sai would snap to a more dignified position to look as if he was actually working on something.
The fact that only half of Sais reports had anything of value in them wasn't because Sai was bad at them, Naruto suspected, but rather because his commander was trying to waste as much time as he could with the task. The nonessential parts primarily being towards the end of the reports supported such a conclusion.
And once again his mind was wondering.
Still, it was better than worrying about all the things that could go wrong with trying to stop an invasion force using the army of another foreign country that wouldn't be able to tell your intentions at first glance.
The chances of them being mistaken for aggressors was far too high for his liking.
They could always inform the Hokage, of course, in an effort to lower those chances, but even then there were only so many who could be informed. All it would take is one person overhearing something or witnessing preparations and the entire village could know by the next day. Even if it didn't, enough Shinobi acting in a hostile manner to shinobi from what was supposed to be an allied village would both tip Suna off and set a bad impression for any possible clients that witness such.
Some might argue that scaring Suna off would accomplish the task well enough, but they weren't looking at the big picture. Not only would a failed attempt by Suna make it easier to make the terms of the alliance even more heavily in their favor- and perhaps even give Konoha complete control over Suna- but it would remind the rest of the world that when Konoha fought it always won, without exception.
There was yet to be a Shinobi war in which they did not come out on top and if Naruto had anything to say about it that wasn't going to be changing any time soon.
An invasion wasn't a Shinobi World War, but it was a situation in which Konoha was supposed to be at a disadvantage. Emerging victorious would dissuade the others from trying to start something for a good few years, at least.
That should prove plenty of time for him to solidify his powerbase to better dissuade any would-be aggressors in the future. At least any who weren't terribly desperate or exceedingly loathfully of he and his children.
Didn't sound like much, but if he could put a halt to any opportunists before they had a chance to try anything than that was good enough for him.
And he was back to thinking about the invasion.
With a long sigh he shook his head and turned his attention, once more, to the pile of reports. Sais' would get out of the way first, both because they made up the majority of the workload with his generous…additions… and because those very additions allowed for frequent breaks from his work.
Mai's reports would take more of his attention and there would be few opportunities to pause throughout them without feeling he was putting off his responsibilities. The fact that there was less to go through also helped. If he could get the greater portion finished the rest wouldn't seem nearly as daunting.
Another page went into the basket of read reports, ready to be destroyed, as he selected the next piece. At this rate he might finish not long after dinner.
If he had no distractions, of course, and judging by the sharp rap of knuckles on his door that was not to be.
"Enter." He spared only a brief look at the Wolf who entered before returning to his work, the sounds of his pen scratching over paper once more filling the room.
When the Wolf had made no attempt to speak after several minutes he found himself looking up from Sai's latest attempt at poetry- this one actually managed to convey relevant details for the report, he was slightly impressed- to gaze at the silent operative.
"What is it?" Addressing them directly was usually enough to get them started when they didn't want to disturb him, but this one just seemed to become a bit nervous.
Still, he waited patiently for his child to gather their thoughts and scrounge up whatever courage was necessary to speak. He liked to imagine that he treated his Wolves- for the most part- as his father would have treated him.
"They've returned, Tsukiyomi-Sama." Came the eventual response, earning from him a raised eyebrow.
"Who has?" He had a suspicion, of course, but it was better to make certain.
"Orochimaru-Dono, my lord." The Wolf still seemed slightly troubled by the answer, though for what possible reason that may be escaped him.
"Good, they found him then?"
"Ah, no, Tsukiyomi-Sama." It wasn't nervousness, he decided, but rather some sort of shame. "Orochimaru-Dono located a patrolling Wolf and had them guide the way."
Shame confirmed, though why they thought they had failed him he didn't know. This was, after all, exactly what he wanted.
"Is that so?" He posed the question to no one in particular and wasn't surprised when the Wolf stayed silent. Due to recognizing it really wasn't a question or not wanting to answer only the operative would ever be able to say. "Does their search party know?"
"No, my lord, you are the first to be informed."
"Let's keep it that way, yeah?" His eyes returned to his papers, determined to get through at least a few more in what time he had before his meeting with his godfather. That, he knew, had the potential to eat up most of his time. He couldn't actually say that would be unwelcome. He had until the end of the second exam to fill and even he didn't have that much paperwork. Thank the gods he had Mai and her brother to lessen his workload so. "We'll wait for them to complete their task and locate our esteemed"- 'Uninvited' was left unsaid, but they were not unwelcome- "Guest. I wonder what their thoughts will be when they find him here with me…"
It was obvious enough to the Wolf that this was, in some small way, a punishment. Searching for Orochimaru for the next couple days- even nonstop- wasn't too bad after all their training but the desperation of trying to locate their target as soon as possible lest they further disappoint Tsukiyomi-Sama would certainly weigh on them the entire time.
To find them here, however, in their lord's presence, would be horrible. Not only would they have the shame of having been unable to complete their task but it would have been done without them. For a group that had jumped at the chance of giving their lives purpose by serving Naruto there was little worse than the feeling that you weren't actually needed. The disappointment- imagined or otherwise- that might be felt by their lord would only serve to make them feel worse.
It was, in the opinion of the Wolf who had relayed this news, a fitting punishment and a lesson that would be well remembered. Not that he should be surprised; it had been his lord who came up with the idea.
"Understood, Naruto-Sama. It will be done. "The Wolf gave a hasty half-bow, a more elegant equivalent of their salute more suited to those in the Daimyo's palace than Naruto's office. Then again, Naruto was a Daimyo now, so perhaps it was fitting. "What of Orochimaru? Shall I have them given room in the Den?"
He glanced up from his work only long enough to shake his head.
"No, send them in. They obviously couldn't wait any longer to meet with me." Instructed the young man. "And have one of the other guards prepare tea for my guest and I, this will likely be a long meeting."
"Of course, by your command." Another half-bow and the Wolf left the room, moving with far more purpose than they had entered. Learning they were not in trouble had evidently put them more at ease.
One more page made it into his finished pile by the time the door opened again, admitting the guest he had not expected until he had heard of their arrival earlier that day.
He looked up, opened his mouth to greet them, paused, and fell silent. Blinking twice, one brow rose as he leaned back into his chair, work forgotten.
She- for there was no denying the gender of the person at the door- seemed quite amused by this.
"You know," He started after a few more seconds of silence had died. "Everything I know about you has led me to the belief that you were male, godfather. It would seem I was sorely mistaken."
Her laugh was far too melodious than that of an S-rank rouge Shinobi for a penchant for human experiments had any right to be. Still, he found he quite liked it.
"It's a rather recent change, actually." Orochimaru skipped the chairs at the front of his desk- he wasn't sure if anyone had ever sat in them, considering his Wolves either knelt or remained standing- and sat directly on the desk itself, careful to avoid the papers scattered atop its surface. "This body had a trait I was interested in acquiring and it's a package deal, you see."
If Naruto was at all phased by what she said- which he wasn't, thank you- he did nothing to show it. Instead, he continued as if stealing bodies was an everyday thing.
"And what trait did you get from this package?"
Of course, accepting her deeds so easily- even if she already thought they were pretty similar- was only going to further endear him to her. Flashing him a quick smile she proceeded to demonstrate the increased functionality on her tongue.
He thought he managed to hide his surprise quite well, considering.
Raising a brow he made the entirely truthful comment; "Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one who won't be expecting that."
She grinned at him again.
"A good trade for some time spent as a woman, no?" She asked.
His eyes swept over her for a moment before shrugging. "There are certainly worse bodies you could have been stuck in."
"Oh?" Her own brow rose in response. "Is my little prince saying he's attracted to his godmother? How naughty, Naruto-Kun." She teased.
Had he not spent so much time with Anko he may have blushed at that. Considering he and the Tokubetsu Jounin shared a bed pretty commonly and she loved to tease him, however, he was quite used to it.
"If nothing else, I can admit you have good taste in women." He countered, not really denying it at all. "Though when a man's after a woman's body one usually doesn't expect such a result."
Another disturbingly pleasant laugh escaped her lips as she reached out to ruffle his hair fondly. She took her time removing her fingers from the strands of red, stretching it out as long as possible in a way that indicated she'd like to have been simply running her fingers through his hair instead.
Whether she refrained due to her position on his desk- one that forced her to lean a bit forward to reach his head- or because this was their first meeting he did not know. He didn't suspect it really mattered at this point, though, they would be around each other for the next week, easily, and very possibly even longer.
That would give him plenty of time to figure out his...godmother.
It was a good thing, he decided then, that he had never met Orochimaru before, as a change like this would be quite hard to accept as easily as he was should a relationship of any kind have already been established.
That did mean it was going to be quite odd for him to see Orochimaru as a man in the future, though, which brought him some amusement. The idea of meeting Orochimaru at all was disturbing to most, yet here he was realizing he'd only think it was strange to see the Sannin in the form the rest of world knew him to have.
How strange people must think his life was, he realized, when meeting someone like Orochimaru as a woman was considered normal to him?
"No," She mused, breaking him from his own thoughts. "I don't suppose they do. You just have to remember that you godmother is far above average."
His brow rose yet again- he had a feeling this would be a common occurrence in her presence- as he curiously inquired; "Godmother? Do you intend to retain this form then?"
The Sannin frowned, which was really more like a pout, and her forehead crinkled slightly in thought.
"I haven't quite decided." Orochimaru admitted. "It's beginning to grow on me, I have to admit, and I can always change my mind later. When one is questing for immortality, what are a few years spent in a form you decide you don't like later? Even if it stopped e from working, a few years wasted means nothing to eternity."
"An inconvenience?" Orochimaru waived her hand as if banishing his suggestion.
"While I may seek to master all the techniques in the world with my immortality, the important thing is experience. It may not greatly benefit me but I'd rather have the first-hand knowledge to draw from than have to make any guesses, regardless of how educated they may be."
"In that case, I don't suppose you lose either way. I'd assume that's the point?"
She flashed him another smile.
"Exactly. So, tell me what my crimson prince has been up to lately."
As she said that her gaze had dropped to the papers that shared the desktop with her, quickly skimming over what could be read from her current position and making no move to get a better view. Until she made an effort to read the contents she wasn't being nosey, just extremely perceptive of her surroundings. Well, that's what she'd claim, at least.
"I've been a bit behind in reports from Sai and Mai, so not much more than catching up on paperwork."
She frowned a bit at that.
"You can't go taking over a country and being declared a noble house of Hi no Kuni and then proceed to tell me all you've done is paperwork." She huffed, crossing her arms.
His brow made what was already becoming a familiar trip higher up his forehead.
"You already knew about that." Was his counter. It earned him a scowl, and he couldn't help but to think it was utterly adorable. He'd take care to not say that aloud in her presence, however. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he stood any chance against a Sannin.
"You haven't done anything else?" She asked, sounding a bit disappointed.
Naruto shrugged.
"Some sparing with Yugao-Sempai and Hanabi-San, I suppose. Put some effort into further cementing Hinata's loyalty so as to not lose control over the cult that's forming around her, too, but not much else. Missions with Anko are pretty regular at this point."
He had returned to his papers and didn't see the surprise on her face. A cult? Had he mentioned that previously? And then there was the matter of her old apprentice. Both were interesting, but what to ask about first?
"Oh, I didn't realize you were involved with any cults, Naruto-Kun, tell Orochimaru-Chan all about it." She scooted closer to him, pushing away papers that would need to be sorted later.
With a sigh, Naruto took that as a sign that he would be finished for paperwork for the day.
"Come on," He said as he stood from the desk. "Let's move to the living room for this."
Orochimaru had no objections to this, especially when she was able to sit against him on the couch.
Her prince even let her run her fingers through his hair properly this time.
Such a sweet boy.
Finding a better place to set up camp wasn't actually that hard in the end. A nearby river cut through a good third of the Forest of Death- as the woman who she had seen around her brother called it- and went by a small hill of stone. That hill, most fortunately, also had several caves.
The cave they had chosen was found only by pure Uzumaki luck, despite her not being the one to- quite literally- stumble upon it. Sakura, exhausted from a stressful day of searching for somewhere safe to hole up for the rest of the exams, had tripped on a root near the river and fallen through dense foliage.
Foliage that just so happened to be hiding the mouth of a cave.
They didn't waste any time after that setting up their camp and making sure their teammate was safe to recover from the attack and the strange woman who had bit him during it.
Who the hell did something like that, anyway?
It had already been done- and they were still out there, somewhere- so there was really no point in dwelling on it at the moment, but seriously, biting him? Occasionally she forgot just how strange those of the Shinobi world were. Things like this, she figured, were the universe's way of reminding her.
A quick glance to her teammates showed- predictably- Sakura gently tending to the unconscious Uchiha and Naruko briefly considered the practicality of lighting a fire in the cave.
The ceiling was pretty high- surprisingly- and a slight breeze indicated there was an opening somewhere else in the cave she couldn't see- likely the ceiling- so she could probably get away with it. The smell and the chances of light spilling out through the upcoming night, however, had her hesitating. She wasn't certain if the smoke would escape just to draw potential enemies to them or if the foliage that hid the cave would completely block the flickering light of a fire.
In the end, she decided it was probably best not to risk it.
Taking a seat near her two teammates- if only to be further from the entrance and at less of a risk of giving away their position- she went through her provisions. She had gone through them often enough before the first exam and again as they waited for the start of the second to know exactly what was contained within down to the last chakra pill or foot of ninja-wire but the task gave her something to occupy herself with and provided a feeling of prepared reassurance she wouldn't have otherwise been able to acquire.
Depending on how long it took for Sasuke to recover- assuming he would- they could be here for several days.
She was not looking forward to it.
The letter, gratefully received from the silent operative who had- once again- snuck into the compound, was quickly read.
She didn't know why they insisted on sneaking into her home as if each one of her visitors was part of some torrid love affair – and she was absolutely certain neither sweet little Mai nor Nami no Tsukiyomi (As some within the Imperial Fire Court had begun calling him, or so she had heard) had ordered such- but it didn't seem like it would stop anytime soon, despite her clan and their pack being allies.
She wondered, not for the first time, if they did it just to annoy her.
That she wouldn't put past them. For the trained killers they were they possessed an interesting childishness sometimes that never failed to remind her of puppies.
Of course, then they would become nearly emotionless drones for the duration of a task they had been ordered to by their lord and would remind her so much of the infamous- amongst Konoha Shinobi, at least- Root operatives that it was impossible to not come to the conclusion of mental conditioning.
Whether it had been by Tsukiyomi or not- and regardless of how successful it had been in the eyes of those who had done it- it did explain, somewhat, their oddness. The conditioning, in her humble opinion, was likely unfinished or possessed within it some major flaw. For as much as she had come to like them and found it easy to interact with the operatives it was painfully obvious that this was not the end product anyone had in mind.
Tsukiyomi, admittedly, made very good use of them regardless, which made it hard to dismiss the thought that he may have had some part in it.
This whole train of thought, however, was not something she had intended to follow for so long after receiving a letter she had been eagerly waiting for and so she turned her attention back to it.
It wasn't terribly important to the outside world, not even fully confidential should it have been intercepted, but it was important to her.
After all, she no longer had the luxury of seeing her daughter every day.
This letter wasn't too different from the others she had received, mentioning that her daughter was enjoying her position as Governor and that Nami no Kuni was growing well under her care, but it did hint to a large portion of the forces stationed there- apparently not all of them Wolves- being on the prowl.
Tsume hadn't heard anything about this from Mai as of late and apparently Sai had only informed her daughter that such was the will of Tsukiyomi.
The direction they had gone in was probably the part most of concern.
True, the bridge was there for them to cross and was the best way for traveling either east or north, but it still felt off. Konoha was to the east and the Yamanaka had already felt the Wolves' touch. What were they up to?
From behind his veil he sneered down at the gathering below him. Nearly the entirety of their forces were there training in preparation for the oncoming conflict- one in which they were to be the instigator.
Fools, the lot of them.
The original plan was nice and sound but now, with no support?
They were going to be crushed.
More than the forces, at that. What few- compared to other major villages, at least- missions they managed to acquire supported the entire economy here in the desert sands. Sure, they had tradespeople throughout Kaze no Kuni but caravans were infrequent and possessed no set schedule, making it difficult for businesses and artisans to expand or for those who depended on foreign supplies to know when they might next get the opportunity to refresh their stock.
When the majority of their forces were decaying corpses in the forests of Hi no Kuni, food for the trees not seen here in the desert, there would be a major decrease to village income and their already precarious position would become only worse.
Only victory held hope for them, but victory was no longer a potential outcome.
He knew his son's strength well enough, that of the Biju Shukaku who had been sealed within the infant, but even then it would bring only damage to Konoha, not victory to Suna. He was certain that, while difficult, it would not be anywhere near as challenging as the Suna council might hope for Konoha to subdue the Biju.
After all, did they not subdue all nine, keeping the most mighty in their possession over all these years? And word was the container of the ninth was back in Konoha with a team to participate in the exams. Gaara might not even make it to the end of the third exam, where the council planned to make their move.
Not officially of course, they didn't have the authority for that, but they had already managed to convince his forces to follow through with an invasion attempt that was doomed to failure.
And he, Kazekage, could only say so much against it. His forces would obey his order, for a time, but they were getting desperate. It was that very desperation the council used to sway them. No, the best he could do was voice his opinion on the matter and let them do as they would. It was far better, in his opinion, that he remain Kage here for the hard times no doubt soon to befall them rather than allow what forces Suna possessed to try overthrowing him to place a leader more inclined- and certainly more foolish for it- to war.
Already he had plans set in place, loyal subordinates who understood the reality of their position and how their poor situation could so easily become so much worse ready to move on his orders.
Even if Suna miraculously managed to survive this coming storm, the council would not.
He'd see to that personally if need be.
Beyond that which, really, wasn't a huge priority in the scheme of things, he had an evacuation ready for his people. Should Konoha retaliate, which wasn't too far-fetched in such a situation, he wanted the civilians as far away as possible.
They would be more safe in the capital, for a time, and if it came down do it they could escape using ships in the northern waters. Though if things got that far the capital would probably be trying to evacuate as well but Orochimaru had already been kind enough to arrange one of the private docks a bit further from the city with supplied ships and competent guard.
What the price of this might be Rasa didn't even want to ponder yet, but he wouldn't decline the help or the offered sanctuary of Nami no Kuni if things should come to it.
Personally, he'd rather not go to the land of Waves, especially at Orochimaru's invitation rather than that of the Wolves who his people would be at the mercy of, but if the Snake Sage's arrangement with the Wolves was anything to base his expectations on it shouldn't be unbearable.
His people would, if nothing else, have plenty of work opportunities, if rumors of Nami no Kuni's growth were to be believed.
In the end, it really just depended on how the invasion went.
Suna would lose, of course, but the amount of success they had would determine Konoha's response.
Well, that and whatever influence Orochimaru's godson might have in Konoha.
Now that was a disturbing thought. Not only was he placing the escape of his people in Orochimaru's hands but he was entrusting someone he had never met- someone Orochimaru would do anything for- to reduce the consequences of Suna's actions.
He was going to be having nightmares about this for weeks, he knew, filled with Orochimaru's laughter.
Joy.
"And as far as I can tell the boundary is 'here'," He explained, moving her pale fingers over his bare chest to the mentioned spot. "There's nothing that I can see that would indicate the two seals are intertwined but from what I understand that doesn't mean they can't influence each other in some way."
"I-I see." She peered over his shoulder to see, very well aware that her position was the easiest for hiding her blush. It made seeing the seal a bit odd but she couldn't help it, she wasn't going to have one of his first interactions remembered as her blushing uncontrollably.
How was she to have known that a light discussion on seals would lead to her beautiful prince removing his shirt before her? She hadn't even been given any warning!
Luckily she had always been quick at thinking on her feet and as he began removing his shirt- likely intending to sit right back down afterwards- she had hurried to stand behind him so she would have more time to compose herself.
He really didn't know just how delicious she found him, did he?
Such a wonderful body it was, she would have been tempted to take it for sheer aesthetics were he not her beloved godson.
And Orochimaru had always thought herself a practical woman.
Well, maybe not a woman, but you get the idea.
"I would suspect, for a lack of anything else, that the seal reached out to this one because it may have held the same chakra that initially woke it. Yakushi-Sensei's comments when I went through Chakra withdrawal seem to support that Mito's chakra was still present and I know I didn't have any when they left."
"You know he's not a real doctor, right?" She mumbled distractedly, trying to follow his words, examine the seal, and keep her focus off of her godsons' shirtless form. It wasn't a matter of morals- she had left those behind long ago- but a matter of waiting until the moment was right. She wasn't just going to start going after him immediately- even if she wanted to- because in the end it was his needs that mattered more.
Of course, she was going to keep a very close eye on him for the second he expressed such needs.
He was hers, her Crimson Prince, and she would make sure to take very good care of him.
She'd just have to wait, regardless of how hard he was making it.
Naruto shrugged at her question.
"He was working as a med-nin, that's close enough in the Shinobi world." Was his response. "Even if he's not a doctor he's closer to one than I'll ever be."
"I don't know, I probably know more about the human body than he does at this point, I could always teach you." She tried not to make it sound dirty, really, she did, but by his amused chuckle she had been less than successful.
"You're as bad as Anko." He claimed. "We were supposed to be going over the seal you helped my father create."
"Helped is key, Naruto-Kun. There was no match to Minato when it came to sealing and in this case his masterpiece may or may not be interacting with a seal he didn't even develop. We haven't even gotten into how the fact that it was the Shinigami himself to complete the seal and how that may have affected it." Orochimaru paused momentarily. "And I should hope that Anko-Chan hasn't forgotten everything I taught her, I was her sensei after all."
Naruto hummed shortly in acknowledgement.
"True, I suppose that makes Anko as bad as you, then."
"I'm not that bad, am I?" He could practically hear her pout and turning to look behind him revealed that Orochimaru of the Sannin was indeed pouting behind him. It was very Anko-like, really, but perhaps that was backwards too. Anko, however, never had that blush- or maybe it was just that much easier to see on his godmother's pale complexion- staining her cheeks.
For a feared S-ranked Shinobi, she was pretty adorable.
Orochimaru-adorable, that was, and such a strange thought too. A strange thought naturally followed by a question he decided to voice. He was quite certain now, after having spent some time with her, that she wouldn't be too upset by his words.
Not that he wasn't prepared to run, just in case he had misjudged.
"So, if she's like you then I suppose she isn't Anko-Adorable, is she?" He could hear her choke on air behind him, completely unprepared to hear their bloodthirsty former student be associated in any way with the word 'adorable'. "It just means the two of you are Orochimaru-Adorable."
Her gasp of surprise, however, was very much Hinata-Adorable.
The tight grasp she kept him in for the next two hours was also very much like the former heiress.
Perhaps there was some merit to the Naruto-Adorable theory?
And that's LII. Think I'll try to use tomorrow to get a head start for the next chapter. By Tymora's grace, we might not have to wait an entire month again for an update.